PARIS – Defending champion Carlos Alcalaz reached the French Open Finals on Friday after Lorenzo Musetti retired from the semi-finals in the fourth set.
Alcaraz was leading 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 when the eighth seed Italian stopped playing at Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“It’s not great to win a game like this. Lorenzo is a great player,” Alcaraz said. “I hope he is all the best, and I hope he recovers quickly and he will meet in court soon.”
Musetti was treated on the inside of his left thigh in the second half of the third set, and was treated again before the fourth.
Musetti went down 5-0 after calling the trainer 16 minutes after the third set. Alcaraz beat Mumetti in the next game and clinched the set in 21 minutes, earning 24 of 29 points.
Musetti was clearly blocked from his movement and called out to the trainer again. After Alcaraz defeated his serve to lead 2-0, Mumetti walked slowly to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz.
“At the beginning of the third time, when I was serving, I started losing a bit of strength behind my left leg and it definitely got worse, so I decided to stop,” Musetti said. “Even if that wasn’t what I wanted, I think it was the right decision. I’ll have the exam tomorrow.”
Second seeded Alkaraz won the second French open title and fifth major against Italian top-ranked Janik Sinner or Serbia’s 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the final.
They were playing the semi-finals later on Friday.
Actor Dustin Hoffman and former US Secretary of State John Kelly were among the crowds that one-handed backhand was one of the best in tennis, but showed early his ability to stroke. Musetti fans with clown wigs in the colour of the Italian flag cheered him on.
Musetti rounded out the first set when Alcaraz sent out Forehand Wide, one of 16 unlimited errors on the set.
Frustration reached Alkaraz. Alcaraz aimed for a side foot kick in the turn during the second set. Anrelief was clear when he defeated Musetti’s serve in the 11th game and won his right fist.
Musetti was broken to force a tiebreaker controlled by Alcaraz. The Spaniards closed the set when Musetti patted his drop shot on the net and putt when Musetti was offering the winner.
“The first two sets were really tough,” Alcaraz said. “When I won the second set, I was relieved. Then in the third set, I knew what I had to do, and I knew I could push him to the limit by keeping him offensive.
Musetti was playing in his second major semi-finals after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon last year.
Alcaraz said he feels physically at the top in the final after beating Musetti six times in a row.
“Really good. Three weeks were three weeks, but I feel good,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence right now. I’m going to give it all on Sunday.”
Alcaraz improved to 21-1 at Clay this year, winning the Roman stain title, where the Italians beat the sinners in the final, and Monte Carlo defeated Mumetti.
Musetti ended up becoming the second Italian man to reach the French Open Final after 1976 winner Adriano Panatta.
But the sinner still had the opportunity to do so.
